9/26/2025 British Museum, Tower of London, Harrods, dinner-Hard Rock

9/26/2025  Breakfast?  I don't have any pictures so I'm not sure if we had breakfast or not.  Uber to our first stop of the day.  Cost 16.88£/$22.74  We drive by lots of interesting sights.

Picadilly

British Museum.  North London area.  Physician and collector Sir Hans Sloane bequeathed his collection of one 71,000 objects from around the world to the nation in his will.  On his death in 1753 it became the founding collection of the British Museum the first national public museum in the world.  Sloane's original collection included antiquities, coins and medals, natural history specimens, and a large library.  The natural history collection and the library were later relocated.  Now this museum has over 8 million objects spanning the history of the world's cultures from stone tools of early humans to 21st century prints.  It's vast with over 70 galleries.  No way to see it all on one visit!   Free admission.  We were here back in 2008 but it was a Bank Holiday and so very crowded that we didn't stay as long as we wanted.  This time I was hoping it would be less crowded but I was wrong.  Teaming with tourists, locals, school groups.  Fortunately there were just a few things I wanted to see this time.  I had printed out a map of the museum before this trip which I had with me to help me locate the areas I wanted to see.  I also got a free museum map when I entered.   But the maps didn't really help me.  I was confused about locating some of the rooms.  No logical order IMO.  Looking at the maps it should have been easy to locate the rooms I wanted to see but that didn't happen.  In the museum shop I bought several things.  A Guide Book which is very thorough/comprehensive.  Socks. Postcards.  Cost?  I did miss some things on my list.  It was just so crowded and Richard was not at all as enthusiastic about the museum as I was.  So my visit was cut short.  We arrived here at 11:00 am and left at 12:30 pm.  We spent 90 minutes here.  I really was thinking at least 2 hours but..........  One thing I am learning is that my husband is not thrilled about museums of any kind.  I think he's happiest when he's relaxing on the beach or by a resort pool.  This kind of trip is my jam, not his.  I didn't see the Parthenon marbles but I had seen them on our trip 2008.  It was just too crowded for me to be able to make sense of the direction I needed to go to get to the other rooms on my list.  But I am content with what I did see on this visit.  Was the visit perfect?  No.  But it was ok.  I do think that with a museum this vast that a guided tour with someone who knows their way around might be the way to go.  Just my opinion.

 

Postcard-South front of the British Museum; Four huge wings, 43 Greek temple inspired columns, triangular pediment, and enormous steps

My research

Queen Elizabeth II Great Court-vast glass and steel canopy of the roof curves over the covered square below with the dome of the Reading Room at it center.  Has 3,212 unique panes of glass.

Postcard-Queen Elizabeth II Great Court; the Lion of Knidos

Inner coffin of Hornedjitef-the mummy of the priest Hornedjitef was encased in a gilded mask and cover and 2 human-shaped wooden coffins.  This is the delicately decorated inner coffin.

Sutton Hoo helmet-only one of four known complete helmets from Anglo-Saxon England.  It was badly damaged when the burial chamber collapsed but conservators have managed to reconstruct the helmet.  

Rosetta Stone-ancient stone artifact discovered in Egypt. Granite stele inscribed with 3 scripts-hieroglyphic, Demotic, and ancient Greek.  Top and middle texts are in ancient Egyptian using hieroglyphic and Demotic scripts.  The bottom is in ancient Greek.  Fragment of a larger stone that contains a decree issued on behalf of King Ptolemy V in 196 BCE.  The decree has only minor differences across the 3 versions making the Rosetta Stone key to deciphering the Egyptian scripts.  The Greek text provided the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.  Found by French soldiers  in 1799 near the town of Rosetta (Rashil) in Egypt.  It later became the property of the British. 

Top-ancient Egyptian using hieroglyphic scripts

Middle-ancient Egyptian using Demotic scripts

Bottom-ancient Greek

Crowds around the Rosetta Stone

Postcard-Rosetta Stone

Ramesses II

Postcard

Gift Shop

Rosetta Stone socks I bought

Richard is happy we're leaving and I'm putting on a happy face even though I wished I could have seen more/stayed longer.

Exiting the museum

Mr. Softee ice cream truck!

Uber to the Tower of London-our next stop.  Cost 14.84£/$19.91

Uber to TOL

Uber dropping us off near the TOL

Tower of London.   Fortress.  Palace.  Prison.   It is a 1,000 year old castle that protects the Crown Jewels. Kings and queens demonstrated their power from here-shaping society and influencing our world.  Home also to the Royal Armouries.  Ravens-guardians of the Tower.  Yeoman Warders.  Used my 2 for 1 voucher.  Admission cost 35.80£/$48.23 Richard is not up to walking around so he elected to sit on a bench while I toured on my own.  Honestly between this and earlier with the British Museum maybe he should have just stayed at the apartment.  He could relax and rest.  I didn't think he enjoyed himself at all.  Not even a tiny bit.  He didn't even go to see the Crown Jewels although we had seen so much of the Tower of London when we came here in 2008.  We were younger and healthier.  At the gift shop I bought postcards, a Xmas ornament, and a souvenir lucky sixpence.  Cost 21.00£/$28.29  I'm glad we came even though I only saw a fraction of what I had seen back in 2008.  But back then the White Tower was being worked on so it was partially wrapped.  Today I got to see the White Tower in all its glory.  And it was nice to see the poppies.  And I even saw one of the ravens.  We spent around 2 hours here.

This is where I bought our admission tickets.

Can see the walls which encircle the TOL

As you walked to get to the entrance you passed by all these great food trucks

Tower Bridge

In 2008 we were lucky that we saw the bridge opening to allow a larger boat go through

Always time for a quick selfie!

White Tower

Postcard-White Tower

Crown Jewels building

TOL Raven

Leaving the TOL

This pavement was not easy an easy walk for my husband 

Food trucks

Xmas ornament I bought

Postcard

We took a taxi to go to Harrods as there were so many just waiting and we figured it would be just as easy as calling for an Uber.  Cost 29.80£/$40.14  Maybe Uber would have been cheaper?

Taxi in line

Saw the London Eye as we drove

Taxi left us off here so we just walked a bit to get to the store.  Traffic was busy.

Harrods.  I'm here because there's a Xmas ornament that I want to buy.  Lots of people shopping.  Wish I had more time here to really explore this iconic store.  I stopped in the chocolate area and made some purchases.  Godiva truffles.  I picked my own.  A lot of my favorite flavors weren't available so a bit disappointed.  They were my favorite go to place for truffles but all the stores in the US and Canada close to me have been closed.  Cost  24.00£/$32.33  Then I spy some more chocolate I want.  Cost 59.19£/$79.73   Oops!  Forgot to take pictures!  I'm debating about going back but Richard is getting impatient.  Now it's time to get that ornament.  In the Christmas area I searched and finally found it.  Cost 20.00£/$26.94  Now it's time to see about getting back to the apartment so we can get ready for dinner.  Outside Harrods I tried to get an Uber but I had no luck and it was cold and Richard wasn't doing so well.  There's plenty of taxis so we just decided to take a taxi back to the apartment.  Cost 14.00£/$18.86  

This is the hand picked box of 12 Godiva truffles I got

Xmas ornament I bought

Another area of Harrods with hampers/picnic baskets

This was right outside the store and I regret not buying a bag.

Interesting watching the street while waiting for a taxi to arrive  

Taxi back to the apartment

Uber to dinner.  Cost 15.33£/$20.65

Hard Rock.  This is the first Hard Rock.  From 1971.  When we came here back in 2008 it was to buy the HR shot glasses for my step daughter.  We never had a meal at the HR Cafe.  We're going to rectify that tonight.  When we arrived we were told there would be a short wait before a table was ready for us.  I decided to run across to the Hard Rock Shop just to have a look.  Richard stayed at the cafe to wait for our table.  When I entered I looked around briefly and was approached by a guy working there.  I told him I was looking for a T shirt.  He said he wanted to show me something first.  I said ok not really knowing what was going on.  There was an area in the store that had a rope across the entry.  The sign said "Vault".  He opened the rope and we both went down some stairs.  In this area there were many items from Hard Rock's history.  He showed me around explaining things I was seeing.  Like a history lesson kind of.  Then he told me to sit on this bench and pose a certain way.  He took pictures with my phone.  Then he showed me a picture he had of Ringo from the Beatles sitting on that same bench in almost the same pose!  It was way cool as I'm a HUGE Beatles fan.  I would have loved to stay longer to hear more stories but I knew my husband was probably wondering what had happened to me!  I thanked the guy-I feel terrible that I can't remember his name-for being so kind to me and told him how much I enjoyed this little tour.  Back upstairs I quickly found a T shirt I liked so I bought it.  Cost 31.45£/$42.37  

T shirt I bought

Back to the cafe/restaurant I discovered Richard already had been seated so I joined him.  We had a great table by the window so we were able to look right out to the street.  I should mention there is outside seating also.  This place has loads of memorabilia on the walls. Great vibe.  Busy.  Our server was great.  For drinks sparkling water, Bahama Mama for me, and a soda for my husband.  We stuck with tradition and ordered what we usually get when we stop at a Hard Rock on all our other trips.  Legendary burger for Richard.  He asked for it to be done medium and it was.  This burger is huge.  It's so high with that bacon and onion ring added.  I wondered how will he be able to take a bite!  He pushed it down some and finished it off like it was no big deal.  It came with fries.  I did the cheeseburger.  In the past it was called the big cheeseburger with 2 slices of cheese but it's different now.  It's called and has 2 beef patties.  I asked for medium well and it was perfect.  Delicious.  A lot more of a burger to eat.  It came with fries too.  Cost 64.52£   I paid cash as I need to use up my British money before returning home on 9/28.  Had a great dinner and a wonderful experience at the Hard Rock Shop.

Outside seating

Drinks-soda, Bahama Mama, bottled sparkling water

My classic cheeseburger

Richard's legendary classic cheeseburger

This legendary is huge!

My classic cheeseburger was just perfect

Uber back to the apartment.  Cost 15.45£/$20.81  It's been mostly a good day.  Tomorrow is our last full day in London before we fly home on 9/28.  I had planned to go to Hampton Court Palace but I'm not sure if that will happen.  We'll see.  Surprise.  Walked 3.21 miles.